Catálogo de publicaciones - revistas

<jats:title>Protection from parasitism by a virus</jats:title> <jats:p> Parasitoid wasps have developed myriad systems to overcome the defense mechanisms of their hosts as they lay their eggs in the bodies and eggs of targeted species. Gasmi <jats:italic>et al</jats:italic> . report how the host can fight back when infected by a virus that expresses a protein conferring resistance to the parasitoid. When members of the butterfly and moth family are targeted by wasps, a protein family has evolved that is horizontally carried by viruses—and sometimes is incorporated into the host genome—and impairs the ability of parasitoid offspring to fully develop and emerge. Characterizing the ability of this protein to protect hosts against specific parasites, the authors document an ongoing host-parasite evolutionary arms race. —LMZ </jats:p>

<jats:title>Screening for drugs that don’t work</jats:title> <jats:p> In the battle against COVID-19, drugs discovered in repurposing screens are of particular interest because these could be rapidly implemented as treatments. However, Tummino <jats:italic>et al</jats:italic> . deliver a cautionary tale, finding that many leads from such screens have an antiviral effect in cells through phospholipidosis, a phospholipid storage disorder that can be induced by cationic amphiphilic drugs (see the Perspective by Edwards and Hartung). There is a strong correlation between drug-induced phospholipidosis and inhibition of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 replication in cells. Unfortunately, drugs that have an antiviral effect in cells through phospholipidosis are unlikely to be effective in vivo. Screening out such drugs may allow a focus on drugs with better clinical potential. —VV </jats:p>

<jats:title>Keeping the nucleolus a liquid condensate</jats:title> <jats:p> The nucleolus is a multilayered, membraneless nuclear condensate in which DNA polymerase I (Pol I)–mediated ribosomal DNA (rDNA) transcription and pre-rRNA processing occur in fibrillar center and dense fibrillar component (FC/DFC) units. How its biophysical properties are regulated has remained elusive. Wu <jats:italic>et al</jats:italic> . found that the RNA helicase DDX21 forms a shell coating each FC/DFC unit in the nucleolus (see the Perspective by Yamazaki and Hirose). The authors found that a long noncoding RNA called <jats:italic>SLERT</jats:italic> facilitates the transition from the open to the closed configuration of the helicase using a chaperone-like mechanism. DDX21 in the closed conformation forms loose clusters that confer the FC/DFC unit sufficient liquidity and space required for Pol I processivity. In addition, DDX21 within the loose clusters cannot approach and wrap rDNA, thus licensing rDNA for transcription. —DJ </jats:p>

<jats:title>A cooler tin selenide</jats:title> <jats:p> Thermoelectric materials can convert heat into electricity or be used as the basis of cooling devices. Qin <jats:italic>et al</jats:italic> . found that doping a tin selenide thermoelectric material with lead and sodium improved the room temperature thermoelectric properties, an effect created by manipulation of the electronic bands. The authors showed that the material could be used not only for power generation but also cooling. If optimal contact materials are identified, then this approach may be attractive for future applications. —BG </jats:p>

<jats:title>Evening out the heat</jats:title> <jats:p> The conversion of precursors into the active layer of perovskite solar cells normally occurs by heating the underlying substrate. Conversion tends to occur near the top of the film, where solvent is lost, and unwanted preheating of reactants occurs near the substrate before the reaction. Li <jats:italic>et al</jats:italic> . show that the use of a surrounding heat transfer oil (anisole) leads to more rapid and even heating, removes solvent, and avoids air and water contamination effects. The larger grains and more uniform films led a much greater retention of efficiency in moving from small-area to large-area devices. —PDS </jats:p>